When A House Is Merely A Prison
by Ghostwriter
Summary: Jamie's home life is out of control. Will he break down and ask for help?
1. Feeling Of Freedom

WHEN A HOUSE IS MERELY A PRISON

DISCLAIMER

In A Heartbeat belongs to Disney. This is a Jamie abuse fic. What can I say? I have a penchant for torturing my favorite characters. I started this because I needed a break from my HG fic "Our Common Bond".

CHAPTER ONE: FEELING OF FREEDOM

Jamie Waite would never admit it, but he loved going out on calls. It was the only time he ever felt free. Oh, he didn't think it was great that people got hurt, but it took his mind off of his own problems at home.

"Jamie, hand me a unit," Tyler Connell requested. Jamie did as he was requested. Val Lanier read off the vitals as Hank Beecham handed her and the others the needed instruments. After they got done with their first call, they had numerous more incidents. Finally, they all convened back at headquarters.

"Dang, you guys look beat," Val's younger sister Brooke said. Their only answer was a collective groan as they collapsed onto the couches. Jamie sat down, but then grimaced in pain.

"You okay?" Hank questioned, catching the action. Tyler, Val, and Brooke looked to their friend.

"Yeah," Jamie answered, shifting in his seat.

"You sure?" Tyler asked.

"Yeah. This chair's just a killer," Jamie responded. The others let the subject drop and began to talk. Jamie closed his eyes and listened to his friends' chatter. This was what he looked forward to when they hung out. This was the feeling of freedom.


	2. What They Don't Know

DISCLAIMER

In A Heartbeat belongs to Disney. Not me. Since Jamie belongs to Disney, I'm guessing that his father does too.

It was late when Jamie approached his house. The boy slowly brought his motorcycle to a stop in the driveway. He let out a shaky breath. He **really** didn't want to go inside. He just couldn't handle it tonight. When he was with the others, he could forget. He could act like nothing was wrong. He could act like he had a normal home life. But he knew he didn't. Oh, he knew everybody had spats. Heck, Tyler often complained about his step dad, William. Although, now that Jamie thought about it, he hadn't brought up the man for some time. With a defeated sigh, he dismounted the vehicle and headed up the walk. With a shaking hand, he reached and grabbed the knob. _Please. Please, just let him be asleep_, Jamie thought. However, as soon as he was in the door, the boy found that his silent wish was to no avail.

"Where've you been?" Andrew Waite asked. Jamie sighed.

"On call. It was a busy night," he answered.

"You lyin' to me?" Mr. Waite demanded.

"No, Dad. I'm not lying," Jamie answered.

"Then how come you didn't call?" Mr. Waite questioned.

"It was busy. I didn't have time," Jamie replied.

"I need your help tomorrow," Mr. Waite stated.

"Dad, it's Saturday," Jamie protested.

"We have a big load tomorrow and I need someone to do the hauling," Mr. Waite told him.

"But Dad, I was gonna---" Jamie began.

"You're helping me tomorrow," Mr. Waite interrupted. "And I don't want to hear another word."

"No! Dad! Don't! Dad, stop!" Jamie's fearful cries were soon followed by sounds of slapping and something traveling through the air.


	3. Rebel Attitude

DISCLAIMER

It's still not mine. It still belongs to Disney. Actually, I **think** I own the English teacher, Mary Cranston. However, if you know the actual name of the teacher, tell me and I'll change it. I **do** own any students that you don't recognize as well.

The next day, Jamie was half an hour late for school. As he came up to his locker, Catie Roth, glanced at him.

"Hey. Why didn't you tell me you were gonna come in late? I would've waited," she stated.

"I wanted to be alone," was the response.

"You okay?" the girl asked.

"Fine," he answered. The boy put his books in his locker, trying not to wince. A few minutes later, the bell rang.

"Come on," Catie said.

"Yeah. I'll be right there," Jamie replied. Catie walked off. Jamie looked into his locker's mirror, and rubbed his right shoulder in pain. Then, he headed in the same direction as Catie.

"Now, as you recall, we're reviewing _Oliver Twist_," their English teacher, Mary Cranston reminded them. "Young Oliver is abused and mistreated by Mr. and Mrs. Bumble who run the orphanage, and Mr. Sowerberry, the undertaker. At this point in the story, he really doesn't seem to have much hope," she continued.

"Yeah, well, if he wasn't such a wimp, he'd probably be better off," Jamie snapped. Everyone turned and stared at him.

"He's just a kid. It's not like he can fight back," Helen Johnson pointed out.

"That's no excuse. He should at least **try** to put up a fight," Jamie snapped again. Then, he pressed his lips together and refused to say anything more. This proved to be the first of numerous episodes. No matter what class he was in, Jamie acted defiantly until he was eventually given detention. When he heard this, he just scoffed.

"Not the first time," he stated. Then, he walked away from the classroom.


	4. Same Old Song And Dance

DISCLAIMER

You know the drill. Anything you don't recognize is mine, the rest is property of Disney. Despite chapter title, Aerosmith's song is **not** used.

Later that night, Greg Sands and his squad was playing cards in their headquarters.

"You know, it's been pretty quiet lately," Kurt Bowman stated.

"That's because the junior EMTS have been taking care of the calls," Greg responded.

"Oh, you mean the high school kids?" Rachel Williams asked.

"Yeah," replied Greg.

"You gotta admire 'em. Not many kids could handle stuff like this," Trevor Burns said with a shake of his head. Just then, their supervisor, Peter Shanks, walked in.

"Guys. We got a call," he informed them.

"What kind?" asked Greg.

"Domestic," was the reply. The squad looked at each other, as they all got a sinking feeling in their stomachs.

"Usual place?" came the question. A nod confirmed their fears.

"Let's roll," said Kurt. With that, they all headed out. Minutes later, they reached the address that they had memorized a long time ago: 2255 Calvert Drive. Kurt was the first one to reach Jamie who was sporting a cut on the right side of his temple.

"Waite, you okay?" he asked as he placed an ice bag on the wound.

"I'm fine, Kurt. This was just a big misunderstanding," Jamie responded.

"A misunderstand? You got detention! How do you misunderstand that?" Andrew roared.

"Sir, we're going to have to ask you to calm down," a female officer told him.

"Don't tell me what to do! This isn't your house!" Andrew continued.

"Guys, I'm fine. Just please…go," Jamie insisted.

"Jamie---" Rachel began.

"Just go! **Now**!" Jamie interrupted. With resigned sighs, everyone did so.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I know you're all wondering why Jamie would insist that the EMTS and police leave, but he's scared stiff and he's stubborn. And as I understand it, the police can't really do anything if he refuses to press charges.


	5. Hiding The Pain

DISCLAIMER

It's not mine but the property of the Disney Channel and thank you to Montana Magic for my first review.

The next morning, Jamie groaned as rock from his radio woke him up. Then, he turned it off, climbed out of bed, and walked to his closet. Jamie pulled off the previous day's shirt to reveal long, deep scars running up and down his back. These old wounds intersected with the freshly made ones. Moving in pain, the boy grabbed a black shirt and then slipped it over his head. After getting dressed, he gathered up his belongings and headed into the kitchen. His father was already at the table, drinking coffee.

"You sleep well?" he questioned.

"Yeah fine," was the answer. _I don't believe it. He practically gives me a concussion and then act like nothing's wrong_, Jamie thought. However, he knew enough not to say a word. He didn't want his dad getting **really** crazy.

"You gonna eat?" Mr. Waite queried.

"No. I'm not hungry," Jamie replied.

"When are you gonna be home?" Mr. Waite continued.

"It depends on how busy the squad gets," Jamie answered.

"Drive carefully," Mr. Waite said.

"Sure, Dad," Jamie acknowledged. With that, he went out to his motorcycle, and then took off. Minutes later, he arrived at Kingsport and alighted carefully. His sore body screamed in protest as he walked up the steps and into the school. However, Jamie kept his face impassive. He didn't need any of his friends suspecting. Especially not the squad. They were like homing beacons for pain. Jamie headed for his classroom. As he took his seat, he could almost hear his body crying out as he leaned back. Suddenly, he felt somebody's hand on his shoulder and bit back a cry. That hurt!

"Are you okay?" he heard Tyler question softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jamie lied in a mutter.

"It's just that you're sitting kind of stiffly," Tyler whispered.

"Who do you think you are? My mother?" Jamie tossed back, pulling away. "What do you care?" he added.

"Sorry," Tyler murmured in annoyance. He flounced in his seat. He had only been trying to be a friend. Jamie didn't have to snap his head off. Jamie immediately felt bad. He knew that Tyler was only looking out for him. But he didn't want anybody knowing what was going on with him. The usually inattentive rebel forced himself to listen to the teacher. After a three classes, the kids went to lunch. Tyler, Val, and Hank sat their usual table, while Catie hung outside with some of her friends. Jamie on the other hand, was by himself underneath the bleachers. He kicked at the gravel. He didn't know what to do. He ran his fingers through his hair. _What am I gonna do? He's getting crazy!_ he thought frantically. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. Just then, his shoulder began to throb. Jamie groaned. Dang it. The Tylenol he had gotten from the nurse was wearing off. Of course, she had no idea what the real reason he needed it was. He had merely told her that he had pulled a muscle on a call. He looked at his watch. Seeing that he had time before his next class, he headed for the nurses station.

"Oh. Hello, Jamie," Nurse Harrison greeted.

"Hey, Ms. Harrison. Could I---could I get some more Tylenol?" Jamie requested.

"Of course," she responded. She gave him two tablets, which he promptly swallowed.

"Are you sure you don't want water with those?" the woman queried. He waved his hand dismissively.

"This should tide me over until I get home. Thanks," he responded. Then, he headed for his next class.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I'm going to have Val as the one to discover what's going on with Jamie, but I'm not sure how to do it. Any suggestions? Be assured, if I use one, you **will** get credit.


	6. Val Finds Out

DISCLAIMER

In A Heartbeat still belongs to Disney. Thank you to Lexical for being my second reviewer and for giving me the idea on how Val finds out about Jamie's secret.

Jamie walked down the hall, expertly navigating through the masses.

"Jamie! Hey, Jamie!" a voice shouted. He turned his head.

"Oh. Hey, Val," he greeted.

"So, what's up with you? Catie says you haven't said two words to her all morning," she told him.

"It's nothing. I've just got some stuff on my mind," Jamie replied.

"Like what?" Val wondered.

"Nothing important," Jamie answered. Seeing that Jamie wasn't going to tell her what was up, Val decided to drop the subject. Suddenly, the girl tripped. Jamie quickly caught her, causing pressure to be applied to his shoulder. He let out a moan of pain.

"What's wrong?" Val asked.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Jamie lied. As he helped her to straighten up, his shirt sleeve rode up, revealing a bluish-purple bruise!

"Oh, my gosh! Jamie, what happened?" Val gasped.

"Crashed and burned on my bike," Jamie lied again.

"Try again, Jamie," Val stated. Jamie sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Val just gave him an "I'm waiting" look.

"Come here," he said, pulling her into a secluded classroom.

"Look, I need you to promise me that you won't say a word," he stated.

"That depends on what you tell me," was her response.

"Val, just promise!" exclaimed Jamie.

"Tell me first," insisted Val. Jamie groaned in frustration. Dang! She was so stubborn!

"I've just---I've just been having some problems at home. That's all," he said.

"What kind of problems?" she pressed. Jamie balked. He couldn't tell her! His dad would flip! However, Val's no-nonsense expression soon won him over.

"My dad and I have been fighting a lot. And uh---he uh---" Val motioned for him to spit it out.

"He hits me, okay?" Jamie exclaimed.

"Oh, my gosh. Jamie, you **have** to tell," Val said.

"No! You don't know him! You don't know what he'll do!" Jamie objected.

"Jamie, if you don't tell either Alex or the police, **I** **will**," Val told him. With that, she walked out. Jamie blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair.


	7. Getting Help

DISCLAIMER

It's still not mine, but the property of Disney. I just took my Geology Mid Term and I think I did okay. There's two more chapters after this and then the story is done.

After school, Jamie walked into the squad room.

"Jamie. What are you doing here? There were no calls," Brooke said in surprise.

"Gotta talk to Alex," Jamie responded. "Is he in?" he questioned.

"Yeah. He's in his office," Brooke told him.

"Thanks," Jamie said. He walked past her and up to the office where his supervisor was. The boy knocked.

"Come in," he heard Alex say. Jamie opened the door.

"Jamie," Alex said in surprise.

"Can I trust you?" Jamie wondered.

"Is this a trick question, Jamie?" Alex wondered. Then, off of the boy's look, "Yes, you can trust me." He motioned for the boy to continue. Jamie ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a breath.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this," he said.

"Doing what?" questioned the supervisor.

"I…I need you---" the boy trailed.

"What?" Alex prodded.

"I need you to call the cops for me," Jamie finally said.

"The cops? What's going on, Jamie?" Alex asked.

"The abuse has been getting worse," Jamie admitted.

"Abuse?" Alex repeated. _How could I have missed it? He always wears long sleeves. Even when it's hot_, he thought to himself.

"Don't blame yourself. I've had a lot of practice hiding it," Jamie said, reading the man's expression. "But the thing is: I don't think I can take it anymore. He's getting pretty crazy. If I don't put a stop to it, he'll kill me," he continued.

"Jamie, bud, I'm sorry," Alex apologized.

"Alex, I need your help," Jamie said softly.

"I'll make the call," Alex said. He picked up the phone and began dialing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I apologize if Jamie seems out of character here, but this is supposed to be his breaking point here.


	8. You're Done

DISCLAIMER

Hey, everyone! One more chapter after this and this story is done! Thanks for everyone who's seen it through.

Hours later, Jamie paced back and forth. He had wanted to go with Kurt and the others so that he could see the look on his father's face when the police arrested him, but everyone was afraid that the man would try to attack the boy. However, they had agreed to let him come to the jail to finally confront him, although reluctantly. However, Kurt, Greg, and Alex had all understood that Jamie **had** to face the man to put his mind at ease. Finally, the phone rang. Jamie and Alex both lunged towards the instrument, with the older man being faster.

"Hello?" he queried. He made some attentive noises. Jamie motioned for him to share, but Alex ignored him. Finally, Alex hung up.

"Well?" Jamie queried.

"You can go down to the jail," Alex stated. Jamie took off.

"Oh, **this** oughtta be fun. I wonder what will happen," Alex muttered. Minutes later, Jamie found himself at the county jail. He parked his motorcycle, and then walked in.

"Can I help you?" the desk sergeant queried.

"I'm here to see Andrew Waite," Jamie responded.

"Um---well---" the desk sergeant stammered.

"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Jamie asked with a laugh.

"Well---" the man trailed off.

"It's something I gotta do," Jamie told him.

"Right that way," the desk sergeant said. Jamie walked in the indicated direction. Meanwhile, in his jail cell, Andrew Waite was pacing and fuming. How dare Jamie turn on him! He knew the consequences.

"Well, look at you," a voice stated. Andrew turned to see Jamie.

"Do you have any idea what you've done, boy?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've stopped your abuse. And it's about time," was the response. He turned to go.

"Jamie. Jamie, wait. It doesn't---it doesn't have to be like this. I---I can change," Andrew said frantically. The boy turned around.

"I'm going to be asked to be remanded into Alex Freeman's custody. You had a chance to be a father and you blew it," Jamie said.

"Jamie---" Andrew interjected.

"You're done," Jamie interrupted. With that, he walked away.


	9. Freedom

SHOUTOUTS\ANSWERS

This is reposted 'cuz I forgot to add something and it's been **really** bugging me. For the most part, it's the same stuff as before verbatum, but you'll see something new. Promise. And just in case reviews are erased, I'll be adding them here.

Ch 7:

Lexical, the reason you had to wait for a new chapter was because I had a Geology Mid Term.

Ch 9:

Lexical: Thanks.

AllyCat16: Thanks.

Jessie13: Thanks.

DISCLAIMER

Here it is! The last chapter! And Lexical, the reason you had to wait a week for one week was because I had a Geology Mid Term this week. And by this time, Jamie has been released into Alex's custody. I'd normally add a chapter where this happened, but I was too lazy.

Two weeks later, Jamie parked his motorcycle in the parking lot of the EMT building. He blew out a breath, and then dismounted. For the first time in Jamie didn't know how long, his body wasn't protesting in agony as he moved. He was still getting used to that feeling. And Alex was pretty cool. Sorta strict, but cool. But Jamie was willing to follow Alex's rules as long as the man was patient with him. Inside the station, Val, Hank, Brooke, and Tyler were playing cards.

"Hey, where's Alex?" Hank wondered.

"Office," Brooke answered. "Anyone have any threes?"

"Go fish," three voices chorused. Brook grumbled and took a card. Just then, they heard footsteps.

"Hey, Jamie," Hank greeted, barely looking up.

"Can I play next game?" Jamie wondered.

"Su---" Tyler began to answer. However, he was interrupted by a wail.

"Looks like it's gonna have to wait," Val said. With that, they all rushed out of the building and into an ambulance. Jamie was the last to board the vehicle and decided to hang on the outside.

"Where we headed?" Tyler asked into a intercom.

"4384 Lane. Mother reported a kid with a high fever and vomiting," someone answered.

"Got it," Tyler replied. With that, he quickened their pace. Even though he was concerned, Jamie couldn't help the smile that came across his face. He loved going out on calls. It was freedom.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

If you or someone you know is being abused call 1-800-4-A-CHILD (224453).


End file.
